Atlanta, GA – As Thanksgiving gatherings bring families together across Georgia, state health officials are urging residents to be aware of an invisible and deadly danger that could be seeping into their homes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — headquartered in Atlanta — and the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) are warning about radon, a radioactive gas that becomes especially dangerous in colder months when homes are sealed tight.
Radon is formed naturally from the breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and groundwater, and seeps into homes through cracks in basements, sump pumps, and floor joints. Because it’s odorless, colorless, and tasteless, families can breathe it in for years without realizing the risk.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ranks radon as the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the country — linked to more than 21,000 deaths annually. Long-term exposure at or above 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) is considered hazardous, though experts emphasize that no level is entirely safe.
Georgia’s geology makes some regions — including north and central parts of the state — more prone to elevated radon levels. The Georgia Radon Program, operated by the University of Georgia’s Extension Office, offers low-cost test kits to help residents measure levels quickly and accurately.
Testing is the only way to know if your home is affected. Short-term kits cost less than $30 and provide results in just a few days. If high levels are found, certified mitigation professionals can install venting systems that safely reduce radon concentrations by up to 90%.
“Radon doesn’t make noise or leave a smell, but it kills more people than house fires or carbon monoxide every year,” CDC officials said. “Testing this Thanksgiving could save your family’s health.”
As families gather indoors from Atlanta to Athens to Macon, health leaders urge Georgians to take ten minutes this holiday to add radon testing to their winter safety checklist — before this silent killer overstays its welcome.
